Men & Women Listen Up! Series

SERMON OUTLINE:

• Wise Words For Older Men (vs 2)

• Wise Words For Older women (vs 3-4)

• Wise Words For Young women (vs 4-5)

• Wise Words For Young Men (vs 6-8)

SERMON BODY:

Quote: Chuck Swindoll, Rise and Shine, p. 198 tells is straight:

“Ministry is a character profession. To put it bluntly, you can sleep around and still be a good brain surgeon. You can cheat on your mate and have little trouble continuing to practice law. Apparently, it is no problem to stay in politics and plagiarize. You can be a successful salesperson and cheat on your income tax. But you cannot do those things as a Christian or as a minister and continue enjoying the Lord's blessing. You must do right in order to have true integrity. If you can't come to terms with evil or break habits that continue to bring reproach to the name of Christ, please, do the Lord (and us in ministry) a favour and resign.”

• Tough words, but truthful words;

• God calls us as believers to ‘walk the talk’ to ‘practice what we preach’

• We are to be different in behaviour to the non-believers that we live among.

Ill:

• Jesus said (Matthew chapter 5 verse 14);

• “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."

• In other words;

• We are to be different, distinct to those non-believers that we live amongst.

• We are to shine in a world of darkness.

Ill:

• One Sunday as they walked home from church,

• A little girl turned to her mother and said,

• "Mommy, there’s something we learnt this morning that I don’t understand."

• The mother said, "What was it?"

• The little girl replied, "Well, he said that God is so much bigger than we,

• Our teacher said; “God is so big that He could hold the world in His hand. Is that true?"

• The mother replied, "Yes, that’s true, honey."

• But the little girl looked very confused and she said;

• "But we also learnt that when a person becomes a Christian,

• God comes to live inside of us when we believe in Jesus as our Saviour. Is that true, too?"

• Again, the mother assured the little girl that what the teacher had said was true.

• Once again with a puzzled look on her face the little girl then asked,

• "If God is bigger than us and He lives in us, wouldn’t He show through?"

• TRANSITION: People should look at us and see God shining through;

• That is the normal Christian life!

• And the theme of Titus chapter 2.

In Titus chapter 1 of this letter the apostle Paul warned Titus;

• To be aware of false teachers.

• In chapter 1 verse 16 he says the imposters:

• “Claim to know God, but by their actions (life-styles) they deny him.

• Now in chapter 2 there is a contrast made between imposters and genuine believers;

• That is why verse 1 in the N.I.V. starts with the words, “You, however…”;

• Some other translations use the words; “But as for you”

• There is a contest between the false in chapter 1 and the genuine in chapter 2.

• So the apostle tells these believers: “You claim to know God, prove it by your life-style!”

• This whole chapter deals with Christian character in action.

Notice:

• The apostle Paul starts this section in verse 1 by talking about sound doctrine,

• And please note that ‘sound doctrine’ is not just good theology;

• It is also good practice.

• What we believe should affect how we live.

• So this whole chapter deals with Christian character in action.

• Quote verse 1 (J.B. Phillips translation):

• “Now you must tell them the sort of character which should spring from sound teaching”

• Out of sound doctrine comes sound living;

• Or out of good doctrine comes good living.

• Out of healthy words should come healthy, wholesome living;

• Note: From that word ‘sound’ we get our word ‘hygiene’.

Now in these first eight verses the apostle speaks primarily to four different groups;

• He is not saying these things mentioned only apply to that particular group,

• Because the principles mentioned will apply to all Christians;

• But here the apostle gives an added emphasis to these particular groups.

• It is as if he saying these truths are for everyone;

• But then highlights and underlines them for certain age-groups.

(1). Wise Words For Older Men (vs 2).

Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.”